Clinton and Special Interests
After reading about Clinton honoring a former gang leader and inviting him to the Inaugural Ball (Dec. 30), I came to a startling conclusion--I’ve been doing this parenting thing all wrong!
You see, I’ve been teaching my two sons, ages 7 and 4, to be so proud of their African-American manhood and heritage that they will never: use drugs; sell drugs; steal; risk the lives of innocent women and children by participating in cowardly drive-by shootings; disrespect women; take the life of another human being simply because they’re wearing a different color, or drop out of school.
In addition to teaching them, I’ve been attempting to live that kind of life before them so that they can see that it can be done.
But alas, neither my sons nor any of the tens of thousands of courageous, honorable and brilliant African-American children who, on a day-to-day basis resist the suicidal madness of gangbanging, are going to receive “lodging, transportation, tuxedos and gowns for the Inaugural Ball.” Obviously, I must be doing something wrong.
This letter is not meant to put Charles Rachal down in any way, and I commend him and others like him for turning their lives around. (Welcome to the real war, brother.)
Instead, my anger is aimed at the media and well-meaning but misguided politicians who keep spotlighting gangbangers and romanticizing their murderous exploits by calling them “warriors,” “soldiers,” or “the L.A. Four”!
But then what do I know? Nobody is inviting me to the Inaugural Ball.
A.V. GRIMES
Los Angeles